Container for artificial dentures



Dec. 9, 1952 PASSMORE 2,620,919

CONTAINER FOR ARTIFIIAL DENTURES Filed Aug. 19, 1950 INVENTOR. AndrewMPass/nore Patented Dec. 9, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER FOR ARTIFICIAL DENTURES Andrew M. Passmore, Burbank, Calif.

Application August 19, 1950, Serial No. 180,412

Claims.

My invention relates to portable containers for carrying and storing delicate and readily breakable articles, and more particularly to containers for artificial dentures, bridgework and like dental accessories.

It is a purpose of my invention to provide such a container which is structurally characterized by its simplicity, durability, low cost of manufacture, and convenience in carrying and storing; and functionally characterized by its ability to so hold dentures and the like that they are thoroughly and eiiectively protected against injury or breakage and particularly the teeth thereof, resultant of the container being accidentally struck or dropped. In addition the container protects the dentures from contamination by external bacteria and the growing of internal bacteria as well, by the application to cushions in the container of any suitable sterilizing solution.

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide a container which aifords the above recited ad vantages, by constructing it with a casing of suitable gage metal, plastic, or other material having the requisite strength to resist bending or breaking when struck or dropped, and in the form of a hollow sphere made in two or more sections movably connected one to the other so that the sphere can be opened or closed to insert or remove a pair of artificial dentures, and wherein each casing section contains a cushion of resilient material such as foam rubber or sponge rubber, possessing the requisite shock absorbing property to adequately protect dentures placed in the sections against damage should the container be struck or dropped in handling.

I will describe only one form of container for artificial dentures embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view showing one form of container for artificial dentures embodying my invention, in closed position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the halves of the container in open position and one of the closures in open position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the container in open position and one of the closures in open position.

Having specific reference to the drawings, my invention in its present embodiment comprises a hollow casing designated generally at C which is constructed of sheet metal, plastic, or any other 2 non-breakable material of a gage suitable for the purpose. This casing C is made in a plurality of sections movably connected one to the other so that they can occupy open and closed positions for insertion and removal of the artificial dentures.

In the present instance the casing C is made in two semi-spherical sections I5, I5 of identical size so that when closed they form a hollow sphere or ball.

These sections are connected at one point along their edges for movement to open and closed positions by a hinge H which may comprise a pair of pins l6 and a leaf I! which is solid to make it substantial. The pins l6 are secured at their ends in ears [8 formed on the section edges by inturning the same, and the leaf I7 is provided with longitudinal openings Il a through which the pins l6 extend.

It is important to note the manner in which the hinge H is associated with the casing sections is such that when the latter are in closed position, the hinge is countersunk in respect to the sections, thus minimizing breaking or otherwise damaging the hinge should the casing be struck or dropped at the hinge point of the cas mg.

For releasably securing the casing sections [5 in closed position to form a ball, a suitable latch L is provided. This latch may comprise a spring arm l9 secured at one end by rivets 20 to an indented portion 2! of one section, while the other end is bent to form a bill 22 provided with an opening 23. The latch also includes a keeper in the form of a rivet with a conical head 24a secured to and disposed in the indented portion 2|, and with the head positioned to extend through the arm opening 23 for securing the casing sections together when in closed position. As with the hinge H the latch L is likewise countersunk to minimize damage thereto resultant of striking or dropping the casing and particularly if the point of impact is directly in the area of the hinge.

The casing sections I 5 have secured therein by means of suitable adhesive, bodies B, B of cushioning material possessing the requisite resilience or compressibility to absorb shock resultant of accidentally striking or dropping the container and preventing its transmission to the dentures received in the container. I may use as such material cotton or wool, but I prefer foam rubber or sponge rubber since it is more sanitary, not permanently deformable, and can be fixedly secured in the sections.

Each body B is of semi-spherical form to completely fill the casing section [5, but it is divided into a main portion 25 and a closure or lid 26 formed by cutting the body along vertical lines 21, 2'! to one end edge of the body and then along a horizontal line 28 extending inwardly from the free end of the closure and terminating short of the other end of the closure to form a hinge for the closure since the rubber is readily bendable, and to allow the closure to be lifted to open position yet normally urging it to closed position.

Of course, the closure 26 may be molded separately from the main portion 25 and subsequently vulcanized to the latter to form the hinge connection thereof. In either case the closure of one body B is reversely disposed in respect to the closure of the other body so that their hinge connections with the main portions 25 are to the outer edges of the casing sections when the container is openedand readily accessible to lift individually.

Each cushion body B is formed beneath the respective closure 26 with a cavity 29 of such area as to accommodate therein one of a pair of artificial dentures, and while the two cavities may be of identical form to receive either denture, I prefer to make one cavity of a depth to receive the upper denture 3i and theother cavity to receive the lower denture 3|, since it is desirable that the dentures be flush with the tops of the cavities to permit the closures 26 to lie fiat and thereby allow ready closing and latching of the casing sections.

In the use of my container the casing sections can be readily unlatched and opened to allow ones dentures to be placed in the cavities 29 by individually lifting the lids 26 to open position as illustrated in Fig. 3, thus exposing the cavities to permit the dentures 3E] and 3| to be placed in the respective cavities. Upon release of the lids they spring back to closed position wherein they overlie the dentures to prevent them from falling from the cavities during handling of the container incident to closing and latching the casing sections.

Once the casing sections are latched, the container takes the form of a sphere with the lids 26 in flat contact with each other to form a wall of their combined thickness between the dentures, as shown in Fig. 2.

Since the cavities 29 are located substantially in the center of the body portions 25, a thick wall of shock absorbing material encircles the cavities between the denture and the casing. This wall, together with the wall formed by the lids 28, provide enclosing bodies for the dentures which effectively absorb and thereby prevent transmission of shocks to the dentures in consequence of striking or dropping the container, and thus'the dentures are effectively protected against breakage, and particularly the teeth thereof.

In making the container of spherical form, a decided advantage is attained in respect to preventing breakage of the dentures should the container be dropped, inasmuch as when the container is dropped it will strike at one point only on the casing and thus the resultant shock is minimized.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of container for artificial dentures and the like, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit of my invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A container for artificial dentures, including: a hollow rigid casing comprising a pair of sections movably connected to occupy open and closed positions; shock absorbing cushions in each of said sections having denture receiving cavities in those sides of said cushions which confront each other when said sections are in closed po sitions; and closures of shock absorbing material mounted on said cushions to separately close said cavities, and when said sections are closed to be interposed between said cushions.

2. A container for artificial dentures and the like, including: a hollow rigid body of spherical form having two semi-spherical sections hingedly connected to each other at their edges to occupy open and closed positions; and semi-spherical bodies of resilient shock absorbing material hav ing portions secured in said sections provided with denture receiving cavities in their confronting sides; and other portions forming movable lids for the cavities urged to cavity closing positions.

3. A container for artificial dentures and the like, including: a hollow rigid body comprising a pair of sections hingedly connected to occupy open and closed positions; and bodies of resilient shock absorbing material having portions secured in said sections with denture receiving cavities in their confronting sides, and other portion sv forming closures for the cavities urged to cavity'closing positions and. interposed in overlying' relation to each other between the first mentioned portions when said sections are in closed position.

4'. A container for artificial dentures, including: a hollow rigid body comprising a pair of sections connected to each other to occupy open and closed positions; two bodies of resilient shock absorbing' material, one body in each of said sections, the confronting sides of said bodies incised along spaced parallel lines, extending inwardly from one edge thereof and terminating at the opposite edge thereof, and further incised in a plane extending from one parallel line to the other throughout the length thereof, to provide self-closing lids at the confronting sides of said bodies; and denture receiving cavities in said bodies accessible by opening the respective lids.

5. A container for artificial dentures as embodied in claim 4, wherein the incising of said bodies along spaced parallel lines extends from the confronting edges of said bodies in the open position of said sections, so that the free ends of the lids are disposed at the confronting edges of said bodies when said sections are in open position.

ANDREW M. PASSMORE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 125,988 Anderson Mar. 18, 1941 D. 149,869 Haney June 8, 1948 1,748,406 Blair Feb. 25, 1930 2,196,566 Sabattis Apr. 9, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 219,407 Great Britain July 28, 1924 325,412 Germany Oct. 12, 1920 

